FIGHT LIKE A GRRRL club™
ORIGINS
The driving force behind Fight Like a GRRRL Club (FLAG) emerged from the devastation we endured as a community in the search for a missing young woman from Nelson County in 2013, Alexis Tiara Murphy. Choosing to put their skills to use, 2nd Degree Black Belt Sally Rose & 5th Degree Black Belt Josh Copson began offering self defense classes.
FLAG was officially founded in 2018 and received 501c3 nonprofit status in 2019. We travel regionally to host free pop up workshops that teach individuals self defense training and education. With self defense techniques and strategies that are simple, efficient and effective, it is our goal to empower folks and awaken their indomitable spirit.
MISSION
We strive to empower people with the ability to protect their physical and emotional wellbeing through feminist driven self-defense education. Our instruction includes de-escalation and avoidance techniques, strategies for mildly aggressive situations, and survival self defense skills, to prepare students for any situation they may encounter, from uncomfortable to life-threatening.
We focus on helping vulnerable populations and survivors of assault, but we welcome all people into our classes. Our long-term goal is to train teachers throughout Virginia and the U.S. to bring this program to their communities.
VISION
Our mission is not only to teach self-defense but also to empower individuals, raise awareness & change the way society condones an unsafe world for youth, trans, non binary and femme folx. In our workshops, we discuss ways to deescalate dangerous situations. Outside our classes, we fight to change the culture that teaches grrrls it's rude to say no and that it's wrong to fight back. We teach individuals how to set boundaries, to say NO & to fight back. We firmly believe that self defense education should be for all people, regardless of income level or resources. We provide traveling, pop-up workshops across Virginia, with hopes to expand on the horizon. Can’t afford training? Our classes are FREE. Don’t have a means of transportation? Tell us where you are, we’ll build a workshop in your hometown. Our workshops are a safe space for all gender identities and expressions.
Our goal is to help create a world in which everyone can walk without fear.